GRAND RAPIDS — Smitty’s Specialty Beverage, its iconic yellow beer keg logo recognized far and wide, is set to reopen in the Eastown Business District by Nov. 15.

Customers can expect a much larger store at 1489 Lake Drive SE, with a walk-in beer den, hundreds more craft beers, even produce and specialty groceries.

Joel “Smitty” Smitter closed the doors Sept. 5 to increase the size of the 30-year-old store from 850 to 2,000 square feet by demolishing an old house the store fronted and rebuilding. He’s also adding storage and office space and an upper-level condo where he will reside with his wife, Leah. The renovation, by Pioneer Construction, paves the way for second-generation ownership, as son Jared Smitter, 32, plans to become a full partner.

Joel Smitter, a longtime Eastown resident, started the store in the 1920s-era building that once housed a Dodge dealership.

“We’re an institution; we’ve been here so long. I was in San Francisco talking to people, and they knew Smitty’s, for crying out loud,” said Joel Smitter, 55.

“We’ve been leaders in so many product lines, sometimes in the nation as well as the state. We outgrew the square footage a long time ago. We started stacking things on top of things because we had no place else to put it.”

Craft beers will double from 250 to 500 varieties and liquor offerings will increase by 25 percent when the larger store opens.

Jared Smitter has served as general manager for eight years.

“He wants to take it and run with it,” Joel Smitter said.

“Rather than selling and retiring I thought, ‘OK, if we’re going to do that, let’s invest back into the property and make it last for another 100 years.’ ”

Jared Smitter said he looks forward to continuing to sell Michigan-made beers, wine and specialty liquor. He’s known many of the customers since he was a young child.

“Customers that came in used to teach me little songs and stuff. It’s been fun because most of them still come in. They recognize me, I recognize them. They are almost like family.”

Smitty’s has a staff of eight and plans to add four more employees.

Joel Smitter said he’s thankful the renovation moved so quickly and he’s able to reopen before Thanksgiving.

“I can’t thank Pioneer Construction enough,” he said.

He said he’s loved being a part of the district, and adding to the development in the area.

“When you look at Eastown today and Lake Drive especially, there isn’t an eyesore at all,” he said.